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Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Once a year, we take a long, careful look back at some of Oregon's employment, unemployment, and wage changes...and then write a detailed article about them. Here are a few highlights from the just-released Year in Review article:

• Over the past year, Oregon ranked 47th (worst) in rate of job growth. The state’s employment declines have coincided with a rising unemployment rate over the last two years.

• Educational and health services was the only industry to show growth during 2009. Every other private-sector industry posted job losses. Construction and manufacturing were particularly afflicted.

• The employment picture varied from place to place within Oregon. Four of Oregon's 36 counties posted employment gains; the remaining counties saw losses ranging from 1.3 percent to 13.3 percent.

• Oregon’s growth in average pay continued to be positive over the year, but at a slower rate than in previous periods.

• The forecast for 2010 shows employment declines early in the year, with slow job growth resuming mid-year.

About our Blog!

Welcome to the Oregon Employment blog, brought to you by the Research Division of the Oregon Employment Department. We love studying the economy, helping the public, and using numbers all day long! Feel free to ask questions and leave comments because we're here to help!